Knack is proud to be included on Apple Inc's official MFiT providers list.

With Mastered for iTunes, Apple has created tools for encoding their proprietary AAC files that utilize high resolution 24bit source files. The same type of file we supply to vinyl cutting engineers.

We believe this is an important step in offering music lovers the convenience of a digital download with a higher level of fidelity than your typical MP3.

We've built Apple's Mastered for iTunes encoding tools into our workflow so artists and producers have the opportunity to hear exactly how their album will sound in iTunes before it's ever submitted to the store.

While the optimal end-game is digital music offered free of file compression, the reality today is no one wants to sit around and wait for a 50+MB high resolution file to download to their mobile device.

We applaud Apple for focusing on building tools to help engineers improve the sound and fidelity of digital downloads through iTunes.

24-bit Hi Resolution Files for Vinyl

Knack will provide you with high resolution files mastered specifically for the vinyl format. One continuous file per side with time sheet. You handle the rest.

(Vinyl files are processed at the time of your initial mastering session. Make sure to let us know when booking your session if the project is destined for vinyl in addition to digital.)

Option 2

Knack offers an "all-inclusive" vinyl service. We handle having your lacquers cut. Reference lacquers are verified and, if approved, masters cut and sent on to your plating/pressing plant of choice. We handle it all for you.

DDP Master

A Disc Description Protocol (DDP) master is a digital delivery package that provides the same fidelity of a physical disc master. It offers all the features of a physical master disc (CD Text, Embedded ISRC codes...etc) but enables us to upload the master directly to the pressing plant as a single digital package file. No shipping required which saves time and shipping costs. It also removes the possibility of disc errors occurring during the final burn of a physical master disc. DDPs require verification before uploading to the pressing plant which is accomplished utilizing specialized toolsets here at Knack.

Digital Files

• CD quality (16bit/44.1k) files

• Hi-resolution (24bit/96k) files

• 320kbps MP3 files

All files are analyzed and optimized for online delivery and streaming formats.

Mastered for iTunes

When creating Mastered for iTunes files, the audio is analyzed and optimized here at Knack directly through Apple's proprietary encoding tools. Tweaks are often made to your masters to ensure the highest fidelity possible through iTunes. These high resolution files meet Apple's requirements for submitting as "Mastered for iTunes".